India-Canada IC-IMPACTS Annual Research Conference discusses ways of taking cooperation to new level
India-Canada IC-IMPACTS Annual Research Conference discussed ways of taking the cooperation between the countries to the next level by strengthening existing international connects, sharing best practices in multiple areas, and initiating new collaborations in government and institutions.
Highlighting the importance of Indo-Canadian S&T cooperation Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) Prof. Ashutosh Sharma said, “Methods should be explored to take the cooperation between the two countries to a different level. Best practices in the areas of women in science, technology deployment, diversity in science, and STEM at schools could be shared between them, besides exploring new research in Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Sciences, and Electric Mobility”.
He also apprised the conference on the new STI policy of India and highlighted the role of the international connects as one of the significant stakeholders. He welcomed the Canadian views and inputs on strengthening such connects.
The Conference was organised virtually by the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) on 6 August 2020.
Prof. Nemy Banthia, Scientific Director and CEO, IC-IMPACTS informed that IC-IMPACT has resulted in 1,129 publications, 63 bilateral research projects, 24 technology deployments, 352 partnerships, and 29 patents and technology disclosures. He also pointed out that approximately 200 highly qualified Indian students and a large number of Canadian students, most of whom are masters, Ph.D., and post-doctoral fellows were trained under the IC-IMPACT. Projects implemented under this partnership have directly resulted in 7 start-ups and the creation of many jobs for our young graduates.
Secretary Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Dr. Renu Swarup emphasised on the need to initiate new collaborations and networking with the Canadian government and institutions. Prof. Alejandro Adem President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, also showed his enthusiasm for joint collaboration in applications ranging from quantum science, artificial intelligence to health sciences.
In the Round Table following the inauguration, detailed presentations were made on joint activities being pursued bilaterally under the DST-DBT-IC-IMPACTS programme. Dr. SK Varshney, Adviser & Head, International Cooperation DST, highlighted about joint research in emerging sciences, where there was a potential for translation of research into marketable applications of social relevance. Specific themes on joint collaboration could be mutually agreed. Indian programs on Gender equality in Science, Entrepreneurship in Science were also mentioned in which collaboration could be developed.
Mr. Barj Dhahan, Board Chair, IC-IMPACTS, Mr. Ajay Bisaria, High Commissioner of India to Canada, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST, Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Prof. Santa Ono, President, University of British Columbia, Prof. Nemy Banthia, Scientific Director and CEO, IC-IMPACTS and Prof. Alejandro Adem, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada participated in the inaugural session of the conference virtually. Approximately 200 Indian and Canadian participants were present in the conference.
DST has been working with IC-IMPACTS for research partnerships since 2013. This partnership is aimed towards working hand-in-hand with communities in the two countries to develop community-based solutions for the most urgent needs.
The major focus areas of research cooperation under the IC-IMPACT are green buildings and smart cities; occupants survivability in buildings during fires; integrated water management & safe and sustainable infrastructure; and health problems arising from water-borne and infectious diseases.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1644756
Fig. Schematic model for geogenic CO2 degassing. Background data: a Location of geothermal springs of study area plotted on geological map of the northwest (Garhwal) Himalaya obtained from Valdiya (1999); b Schematic degassing model of the study area adopted from Becker et al. (2008); c Background is the resistivity along our study area adopted from Caldwell et al. (2013)
(Publication Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07922-1)
In order to phase out fossil fuels and combat climate change, hydrogen is projected as one of the next generation low carbon fuels. The future of use of hydrogen as a fuel lies in the design of efficient electrocatalysts for facilitating electrochemical splitting of water to produce hydrogen.
The effectiveness of the electrocatalyst for the hydrogen (H2) evolution reaction (HER) largely depends on its durability (robustness), ability to lower the overpotential of an electrochemical reaction maximally, and cost of synthesis (production). The commercially used Platinum (Pt) / Carbon (C) catalysts are efficient but expensive and suffer from metal ion leaching or electrocatalyst corrosion when used for long duration.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and coordination polymers (COPs) are envisioned as the next generation catalysts as they can be tailored to achieve high surface area, less charge transfer resistance, and higher active sites for enhancing the efficiency of water splitting. Scientists have been searching for a novel approach for tuning of MOF based catalysts to prevent electrocatalyst corrosion.
Researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India have synthesized a novel COP consisting of palladium Pd(II) ions, that serve as a source of active sites for H-adsorption, and benzene tetramine (BTA) chelating ligands capable of better charge transfer. The two combine to form two-dimensional (2D) sheets of Pd(BTA) through the H-bond interactions. The research has been published in the journal ‘ACS Applied Energy Materials’.
The 2D Pd(BTA) sheets developed by the CeNS team were combined with reduced graphene oxide 2D sheets (rGO), to enhance the conductivity, and subjected to partial reduction to obtain Pd nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated in COP-rGO composite 2D sheets/layers, promoting active sites for HER. The above catalyst, labeled as [Pd(BTA)-rGO]red, exhibited a remarkably less overpotential (potential difference between a half-reaction's thermodynamically determined reduction potential and the potential at which the redox event is experimentally observed. It is directly related to a cell's voltage efficiency). The COP based catalyst exhibited exceptionally high durability for 70 h at a high current density of −300 mA/ cm2. A study by the CeNS team revealed that the Pd nanoparticles of size 3−5 nm (nanometer) are the root cause for the remarkable electrocatalytic activity of [Pd(BTA)-rGO]red.
Thus, a combination of high activity due to Pd nanoparticles, less charge transfer resistance of rGO, and stability rendered by encapsulation of Pd nanoparticles by 2D sheets work in favor of the high efficiency and durability of the composite material. The researchers also state that ‘this technique of organic ligand encapsulation of metals/metal ions on conducting platform can be adopted for other metal-based electrocatalysts to attain exceptional long term catalytic stability.
“Developing efficient means of splitting water to produce hydrogen and obtaining the energy required for it from solar energy would be a significant part of the sustainable and green solutions for our energy needs,” said Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary,DST
[Publication link: DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.9b01579.
For more details: please contact Dr. Neena Susan John, (jsneena@cens.res.in)]
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India’s struggle to freedom is a significant chapter in the nation’s history and holds a value greater than any significant event of the past. The Ministry of Tourism as part of its ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ webinar series to commemorate and honour nation’s most significant day has lined up a series of five webinars that collectively touch upon themes encompassing the freedom movement, places significant to it and pioneers who had a notable participation in helping India secure its independence.
The Ministry of Tourism organized a webinar titled “Memoirs of 1857 -A Prelude to Independence “on 8.8.2020. This is first in this series of ‘Independence Day’ themed webinars and the 45th among overall Dekho Apna Desh webinars. Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series is an effort to showcase India’s rich diversity under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and it is continuously spreading spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat through virtual platform.
The webinar was presented by Ms. Nidhi Bansal, CEO, India City Walks & India with locals and Dr.Soumi Roy, Researcher and Story Teller and moderated by Ms. Rupinder Brar , Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism. The Webinar took a virtual tour of the saga of our independence and the first war of India’s independence fought in 1857 and the string of events kept following till we attained complete independence in 1947. The presenters highlighted the monuments and buildings that bore the brunt of the revolt or came up as a result of it. From Delhi, Kanpur, Meerut, to many other cities across the country, the presentation showed the viewers story of valour, sacrifice and bravery.
The presenters touched upon the reasons that sparked the revolt like pathetic socio economic conditions, problems of land and revenue administration, destruction of economy, low position of Indians in administration, Doctrine of Lapse, ill-treatment of Bahadur Shah Zafar, Annexation of Oudh, biased Police and Judiciary, and discrimination with Indian sepoys.
In March 1857, Dr. Gilbert Hadow, an army surgeon in the employment of East India Company, wrote the following lines describing a strange movement afoot in 1857, in a letter to his sister in Britain. “There is a most mysterious affair going on throughout the whole of India at present. No one seems to know the meaning of it. It is not known where it originated, by whom or for what purpose, whether it is supposed to be connected to any religious ceremony or whether it has to do with some secret society. The Indian papers are full of surmises as to what it means. It is called the Chapati movement.” The entire chapati ‘movement’ left the British Empire shaken to the core. The British controlled India with a relatively small number of men (100,000 in all), subjugating a huge population of 250 million, so they were well aware of just how inadequate these numbers would be in the event of a serious rebellion.
The speaker spoke about the role of Mangal Pandey- An Indian soldier in the British army, one of the key figures behind Sepoy Mutiny or India’s First War of Independence in 1857. They narrated the incident of the afternoon of 29 March 1857, when Lieutenant Baugh, Adjutant of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry, then stationed at Barrackpore was informed that several men of his regiment were in an excited state. Further, it was reported that one of them, Mangal Pandey, was pacing in front of the regiment's guard room by the parade ground, armed with a loaded musket, calling upon the men to rebel and threatening to shoot the first European that he set eyes on. Due to his attack on two British soldiers, Mangal Pandey was hanged to death on April 8, 1857, at the age of 29.
The webinar captured the sequence of the revolt after the outbreak of the mutiny in Meerut and how the rebels quickly reached Delhi, whose 81-year-old Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was declared the Emperor of Hindustan. Soon, the rebels had captured large tracts of the North-Western Provinces and Awadh (Oudh).
The presenters brought to light some lesser known facts and personalities associated with the First War of Independence 1857 like Raja Nahar Singh, the king of Ballabgarh, Faridabad who guarded Delhi's borders from British forces and kept Delhi liberated for over 120 days. The other battles highlighted included:
- The Battle of Badli-ki-Serai fought early in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, or first war of Indian Independence.
- The Siege of Cawnpore
- The Bibigher massacre when the violent resistance to the British rule from Eastern part of India was soon coming towards the North
- The East India Company establishing a base on the Delhi ridge and with the help from reinforcements, Kanpur was retaken by mid-July 1857, and Delhi by the end of September. However, it then took the remainder of 1857 and the better part of 1858 for the rebellion to be suppressed in Jhansi, Lucknow, and especially the Awadh countryside.
- The Company established a base on the Delhi ridge to the north of the city and the Siege of Delhi began. The siege lasted roughly from 1 July to 21 September. For several weeks, it seemed likely that disease, exhaustion and continuous sorties by rebels from Delhi would force the Company forces to withdraw, but the outbreaks of rebellion in the Punjab were forestalled or suppressed, allowing the Punjab Movable Column of British, Sikh and Pakhtun soldiers under John Nicholson to reinforce the besiegers on the Ridge on 14 August.
- An eagerly awaited heavy siege train joined the besieging force, and from 7 September, the siege guns battered breaches in the walls and silenced the rebels' artillery. An attempt to storm the city through the breaches and the Kashmiri Gate was launched on 14 September. The attackers gained a foothold within the city but suffered heavy casualties, including John Nicholson. After a week of street fighting, the British reached the Red Fort. The British exiled Bahadur Shah Zafar to Rangoon in British-controlled Burma (now in Myanmar), after convicting him on several charges.
The presenters listed various places and sites associated with the First War of Independence and how one can experience the popular trail of 1857 in the following places:-
a) Barrackpore- Known for cantonment area, Mangal Pandey Cenotaph and park.
b) Gwalior- Beautiful Gwalior Fort where Rani Laxmibai sought shelter while fighting the Britishers, Samadhisthal of Rani laxmibai.
c) Jhansi- Rani Laxmibai also known as Manikarnika was married to the Maharaja of Jhansi. Jhansi Fort, Jhansi Cantonment cemetery,
d) Lucknow- Residency complex, La Martiniere College, Tomb of General Havelock, Alambagh Palace/Kothi Alamara, Alambagh, Sikander Bagh and Palace, Dilkusha bagh and Palace.
e) Kanpur- All saints memorial church located in the cantonment area, Nana Rao Park(former site of Bibighar massacre), Sati Chaura ghat.
f) Agra- Agra Fort, Agra college library is one of the oldest library.
g) Meerut- St John’s Church, British Cemetry,Parade ground etc.
h) The seat of power- Delhi. There are two trails i) Kashmere Gate ii) The Northern Ridge trail
Northern Ridge trail- Vice Regal lodge built in 1902, Flagstaff power, Khooni Jheel, Hindu Rao House now converted into a hospital, Mutiny memorial.
Kashmere Gate Trail- Kashmere Gate, St. James Church, Nicholson Cemetry, British magazine, a fortified building use to store ammunition, Telegraph memorial, Khooni Darwaza.
Apart from these, there are many museums associated with the revolt of 1857 which can be witnessed showcasing the valour and struggles are Museum on 1857, Red fort, Azadi ke Diwane museum, Shahid Smark And Government Freedom Struggle Museum etc.
Ms. Rupinder Brar in her concluding remarks spoke about Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India Tourist facilitator certification programme which will also act as an enabler for transforming and encouraging the citizen with knowledge about destination, products and story trails. The saga of India’s freedom movement cannot be told without referring the notable contribution made by the Indian National Army (INA) led by Subash Chandra Bose. India’s military history is very fascinating and visits to some of the museums like Jaisalmer War Museum, Jaisalmer, Air force Museum, New Delhi, Indian War Memorial Museum, New Delhi, Naval Aviation Museum, Goa, Samudrika naval marine Museum, Andaman and Nicobar etc. These museums showcase the weapons, vehicles and aircraft used by the Indian military over the years. We salute all the valiant Indian Army personnel and recall with pride their indomitable spirit, valour and sacrifices in making India a safer place.
The Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series are presented in technical partnership with National e Governance Department, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The Sessions of Webinar are now available on the https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzIbBmMvtvH7d6Zo_ZEHDA/featured and also on all social media Handles of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
The next episode of the Webinar scheduled on 12th August 2020 at 11:00 am, is titled Lesser-Known stories of India’s struggle against the British and registration is open for the webinar: https://bit.ly/LesserKnownDAD
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1644785
The general body of the Consortium of National Law Universities after holding a meeting on Monday to review the precautionary measures taken in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic, decided to conduct the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2020 for UG and PG candidates on September 7.
“The CLAT 2020 examination for both UG and PG candidates will be held on 7th September 2020 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM,” an official notice reads.
The exam will be conducted through centre-based online test. The admit cards of candidates shall be considered as Movement Passes by local authorities to allow candidates to move between Containment zones and travel to their designated examination centre. The admit card will be available on website two weeks before the exam.
Initially, the CLAT 2020 examination was scheduled to be held on May 10, 2020, which was later postponed till May 24, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The exams got further delayed until June 21 and then got rescheduled to be conducted on August 22, 2020.
The exam is held for candidates seeking admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate law courses taught at 22 law universities across India. It is organized by the Consortium of National Law Universities having representative universities as members.
Precautionary Measures:
Staff will be deployed for Crowd Management and orderly movement.
Staff with Thermo Guns will be present at entry gate
Sufficient cleaning staff, center administrators and invigilators with face masks and hand gloves will be deployed.
Spray machines with disinfectant liquid will be used to sanitize examination centers thoroughly.
Sufficient hand sanitizer and hand soap will be present across the test centers and washrooms.
Candidates with fever or COVID symptoms will not be permitted inside the exam venue. A separate isolation lab will be set up to accommodate these candidates.
PPE kits will be made available for staff in isolation labs.
3 ply masks and gloves will be provided to isolated candidates
Important Instructions for candidates:
No candidate shall be allowed to enter any examination centre without a mask.
The Consortium will review centre locations on an ongoing basis to ensure that students and staff are protected at all times.
All candidates with temperature > 99.14 will be directed to the isolation lab for taking the examination.
In case of candidate with scribe, both the candidate and the scribe must bring their own N95 mask
Candidates will be permitted to carry following items with them into the venue:
Mask
Gloves
Personal transparent water bottle
Personal hand sanitizer (50 ml)
A simple pen
Exam related documents (Admit Card, ID card, etc.)
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